We are in chapter twenty-three of Exodus with our word for today. שָׁמַר keep, watch over, guard, preserve. It is used 468 times in the Old Testament. A good example of our word used in the sense of watching out for or protecting is in Jacob’s prayer. Genesis 28:20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me וּשְׁמָרַ֙נִי֙and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lordwill be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.” Another good example is in the priestly prayer of blessing. Numbers 6:22-26 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “‘“The Lord bless you וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ This sense of God’s protection is exactly how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 23:20 Behold, I send an angel before you לִשְׁמָרְךָ֖ to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. This is amazing that God would love his people so much he wants to guard their way so that they make it safely to where he can bless them. God had prepared a place for His people of that time period. If they followed the Lord, He would meet all their needs and defeat all their enemies. And they would end up in the place that God had prepared for them. This reminds us of Jesus who also is preparing a place for His people of this time period. John 14:1–6 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. It is interesting that our same word is used by the people responding to Joshua looking back after they reached the place God had prepared for them to blessed in. Joshua 24:17-18 It was the Lord our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. וַֽיִּשְׁמְרֵ֗נוּ He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. And the Lord drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the Lord, because he is our God.” Just as God was faithful in his word to bring his people safely to where he promised to take them. We can also trust him to bring us safely to our heavenly home. I’ll close with this great promise. 1 Peter 1:3-5 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
